LOS ANGELES — Three weeks earlier, needing a touchdown to tie against the Washington Redskins, Jared Goff stared down Cooper Kupp on a quick out and threw a game-ending interception on his first snap. On Sunday, though, Goff did a masterful job looking off Earl Thomas, the Seattle Seahawks’ Pro Bowl safety who was trying to bait him. It helped set Kupp free on a post route near the end zone, and Goff delivered a tight, accurate throw that could’ve given his Los Angeles Rams a big division win.

Kupp couldn’t come up with what would’ve been a sensational catch, but Goff might have shown something, late in what was mostly a sluggish performance: He can actually put together a winning drive.

Trailing by six, with just over a minute left, no timeouts remaining and the ball at his own 25, Goff completed a 35-yard pass to tight end Tyler Higbee, then completed a 20-yard pass to wide receiver Robert Woods two plays later, spiking the ball to stop the clock at 35 seconds with the ball on the Seahawks’ 20. Goff then threw a deep pass incomplete to Gurley on the far sideline, then just barely missed his connection with Kupp and went to him again on fourth down, but Seattle had it well defended the second time.

He had a better mindset going into this drive.

Jared Goff passed for 288 yards and narrowly missed on a potential winning touchdown pass against Seattle. Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images
“I came into this one knowing that we had the dudes to do it, and knowing that we’ve got everything we want,” Goff said after a mistake-laden 16-10 loss. “Just read the play out and make plays and try to get the balls to the playmakers. The two long completions we had were great routes, and I was able to get them the ball. It builds a little bit of confidence, for sure. But by no means are we satisfied with the way that it ended.”

Goff entered this game with an NFL-leading 9.2 yards per attempt and a solid 112.2 quarterback rating. But he struggled. The 22-year-old threw a couple of second-half interceptions, one a high throw to Gurley on a screen and the other an airmailed pass to no man’s land in the middle of the field. Later, with the ball near midfield, Goff took a sack from Frank Martin and fumbled, giving him three turnovers for the game — two more than he had in the first four games combined.

The Rams, though, still moved the ball. They gained 375 yards from scrimmage, 134 more than the victorious Seahawks. But they scored only three points on four red-zone trips and could not capitalize on key touchdown opportunities.

Goff finished 22-of-47 for 288 yards.

ESPN Stats & Information had him throwing 16 off-target passes, the most of his career and the most by any player this season.

“I think there was a couple uncharacteristic decisions that he did make,” Rams coach Sean McVay said. “When you play an excellent front like that, they cause some disruption. They got to him and they forced some of those errant throws and got some turnovers. But that’s what great defenses do. They made enough plays. What I respect about Jared is he made a couple big-time throws at the end, gave ourselves a chance to try to tie that game up and then see if we kick the extra point to win. But we didn’t get it done. They did, and we make no excuses.”

I have no issue with one of the interceptions. It was actually thrown in a very good place, it was tipped into the defenders hands. I even think the ball was catchable. (albiet it would have been a very good catch).

yeah. i think on one interception his arm got knocked? i don’t know if i’m remembering correctly. i don’t fault him for that. i do think the other interception where he was trying to dump it off to gurley was poorly placed. it was a bad throw. as far as the fumble. i don’t know that i necessarily blame him in that one instance. but overall, i wonder about his fumbling rate. he isn’t getting hit that much (6 sacks), but he’s coughed up the ball 3 times already. maybe just an aberration.

as far as his game, i thought he struggled this last week. but like i said, he’s young. 12 games starting experience. between the move his rookie season and the coaching change his sophomore season, i count this as part of his rookie season.

he needed a game like this. these are the games he will grow from and ultimately get better from if it doesn’t break him. but he’s tough. so i don’t expect that it will break him.

– And here’s the three names I kept thinking about and how good it is for the NFC, how good it is for the NFL, Dak, Wentz, and Goff. Yeah, I know Aaron Rodgers was great. Aaron Rodgers is always great. But Dak Prescott was 25 of 36, 70% completion rate, seven yards attempt. First downs, advantage Dak. Passing first downs, Dak. Third down efficiency– better than Aaron– Dak. Fourth down efficiency– three for three– Dak. Yards per pass, Dak. Possession, Dak.

I know Aaron Rodgers is a first-ballot Hall of Famer. Dak Prescott, no more doubters. His best wide receiver is Cole Beasley. His tight end is old-and-rickety, 35-year-old Jason Witten. Dez Bryant can’t separate. Terrance Williams can’t catch. And here’s Dak Prescott.

A lot of doubters out there. I was one of them initially. And I’m thinking to myself, do you know how lucky you are in Dallas? Look around the NFL. Over the– how long has it taken Miami to replace Marino, and Denver to replace Elway, and the Jets to replace Namath?

Between Terry Bradshaw and Big Ben, it was 20 years of Bubby Brister. Chicago, Sid Luckman, and 67 years of waiting. Detroit, two quarterbacks, franchise history, that can play, Bobby Layne and Matt Stafford. Cleveland, 60 years after Otto Graham, still crying in their beer. Cowboys, you’ve got a quarterback for the next 15 years. You’ll wake up on every NFL Sunday morning, know we’ve got a shot.

By the way, let’s turn our attention to Jared Goff. How good was he? Seattle’s defense is relentless. It’s the best defense in year two that Jared Goff has ever faced. He was outstanding, for the most part. His completion percentage wasn’t great, but his offensive line protection was so-so. He’s nimble in the pocket. You’re not going to complete 65%, 70% against the Seahawks’ pass rush and secondary.

But down the stretch, three pinpoint, brilliant passes. And if the third one was caught by rookie Cooper Kupp– and it was a catchable ball– then Jared Goff would have stunned the Seahawks, and they’d be in first place.

As far as Carson Wentz, what is there left to say? Of all the young quarterbacks, Wentz has been the one, to me, that looks the most like Andrew Luck. He’s got great feet. He’s got great size. He’s nimble. Now he’s in year two with Doug Pederson.

Listen, I’m looking around right now. Wentz, Prescott, Goff. Philadelphia, Dallas, Los Angeles, you can wake up for the next decade or more– Cleveland can’t. Chicago is still searching. Detroit’s had two that can play. They went 20 years between Bradshaw and Big Ben.

When you get the guy– and Goff, Dak, and Wentz are the guy– it is an amazing thing, because now your GM and your scouts and your coaches can just worry about filling holes, getting a left tackle, getting a slot receiver, getting a Mike linebacker. The most important position, by a mile, in this sport is easily quarterback. And in Dallas, Philly, and LA, my takeaway yesterday, all three of you have your guy.

Goff was 22-of-47 for 288 yards with an interception and a lost fumble. Forget the box score, the average depth of completed pass, and any report that says Goff isn’t heading in the right direction. Goff passed the test and earns no less than a B+ from me; his team failed him.

Barely.

Todd Gurley fumbled a touchdown away at the pylon. It was the difference in the game’s outcome. The film is showing that Goff is making confident, accurate throws on difficult targets and often with pressure bearing down.

Goff may not be a future stud, but he’s still causing those with biased processes to formulate reasons why he’s not good. This is a ballsy throw that not only shows accuracy but also trust in his receiver to make the play in a tight high-low window with bad consequences if missed.

Detractors will say that it was a foolish throw, but they’re often the same people that blow sunshine up the hind parts of players who the consensus has already proclaimed “good.” This was a necessary throw and a good one.

Goff is more old-school from the pocket than Wentz, Mariota, and Watson, but it’s also the reason why the Rams are using an offense with him under center. His feel in the pocket is decisive and poised.

While many analysts are short-sighted and bemoaning the interception and fumble as a “failed test,” I’d rather examine how Goff responded to the strip sack in the previous series—a terrific play from Frank Clark against veteran tackle Andrew Whitworth that was no fault of Goff.

These two plays, the sack and subsequent offensive series for Goff tell me that the young quarterback has the goods to become a long-term starter in the NFL.

This kind of play despite a Gurley TD-turned-touchback and failures of Goff’s line is a failed test for Goff against the Seahawks defense? Try again. Try harder.

Goff had the knockout blow served up to the Seahawks with this target of Cooper Kupp. White a difficult catch, it was a makeable catch and one Kupp has routinely made at Eastern Washington—and several of greater difficulty.

Goff brought the Seahawks to the brink the way Russell Wilson brought the Cardinals to the brink in his rookie opener. The way several long-term starters came back from adversity during rookie starts to put their teams in position to win the game.

If you’re the same people who attacked Jeff Fisher’s offense then you must acknowledge that this year is still Goff’s rookie season. He hasn’t started 16 games in the NFL. One thing that’s certain, there’s a marked difference with the way defenses are respecting Goff and the passing game this season compared to last.

“…this year is still Goff’s rookie season. He hasn’t started 16 games in the NFL….The more year-to-year continuity that Goff, his line, and coach Sean McVay can have together, the more layers we’ll see with this offense that will make the Rams a dangerous unit.”
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Sorry, but PFF’s ranking of Goff as only a middlin’ QB doesn’t pass the eye test. There aren’t 15 QBs having better seasons than Goff.

I agree in general. BUT right now he’s stumbling a bit. That’s to be expected—he just played his 12th game, he’s going to have ups and downs. I think what’s going on is that defenses are keying on him and his passing options in new ways, and he has to adjust to that.

Last 2 games for example his completion percentage averages 60.8 and his qb rating averages 72.8. In each category that would rank 27th and 27th.

Rams fans who are watching would see that as a dip in an upward trajectory.

i don’t know much about wentz really. haven’t seen him play, but goff’s pocket presence is light years ahead of bradford.

bradford was mobile. at least as mobile as goff, but it seemed he had no idea where the pressure was coming from.

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I agree, and its not so much a knock on bradford as it is noticing that Goff has some special skills. He’s still learning but its obvious he’s gonna be tricky in the pocket. And his throwing on the move skill is just elite. Thats what makes him special in my eyes. Its there in all his college vids. I was hoping it would transfer to the pros. And it is getting there.

I agree, and its not so much a knock on bradford as it is noticing that Goff has some special skills.

yeah. i think bradford was a good prospect and is a good player when healthy.

i think goff can be at least a notch above him. i don’t think his arm is quite as strong as bradford’s. but he’s got better pocket presence. it remains to be seen how good goff is at processing information as it’s happening on the football field. as far as being able to digest an nfl offense, i can’t really tell, but they both seem like smart guys.

yeah. they’re all young and will be peaking at around the same time. the only thing i worry about is how they replace whitworth. sully too. but especially whitworth. i’m thinking they’re going to need one in 2019.